Systemax Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Selected Assets and Retail Stores...
Systemax Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Selected Assets and Retail Stores from CompUSA
Acquisition to Continue Great CompUSA Brand
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.--(Business Wire)--Systemax Inc. (NYSE:SYX) today announced it has entered into a
definitive agreement to acquire selected assets and retail stores of
CompUSA Inc. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary
closing conditions and is expected to close at several dates
throughout the first quarter of 2008.
Under the agreement, Systemax will purchase the CompUSA brand,
trademarks and e-commerce business, and as many as 16 CompUSA retail
outlets.
"We believe the value of the CompUSA brand remains very high. The
company has a long legacy of value pricing, service and customer
loyalty among consumers nationwide," said Richard Leeds, Chief
Executive Officer of Systemax. "We view this acquisition as a strong
complementary business to our TigerDirect operation."
According to TigerDirect Chief Executive Officer Gilbert
Fiorentino, CompUSA.com's customer base enhances that of
TigerDirect.com and the CompUSA retail stores will strengthen the
company's planned retail expansion. TigerDirect currently operates 11
retail stores in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Ontario,
Canada. Pending required approvals, up to 16 CompUSA stores in
Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico will be added during the first quarter
of 2008.
"Millions of loyal customers will come to the Systemax and
TigerDirect family of businesses through this acquisition," Fiorentino
said. "We anticipate hiring many experienced CompUSA employees,
preserving hundreds of store management and sales positions and making
us stronger and better in the process."
As the select CompUSA retail stores are acquired, they will be
integrated into TigerDirect's existing retail operating environment.
"We have a terrific opportunity to continue the great CompUSA
brand and establish a new heritage that will extend for generations to
come," Fiorentino added.
TigerDirect, a subsidiary of Systemax, is one of the industry's
top computer and computer-product retailers. The company's web site
(www.tigerdirect.com) was ranked as one of the Top 15 online retail
sites for "Customer Focused Excellence" by the Forrester Group in
November 2007 and is consistently in the Top 10 for web traffic among
computer shopping sites as measured by HitWise.
Until the agreement is closed, CompUSA's web site
(www.compusa.com) and retail operations will continue to operate under
CompUSA's existing leadership. Once the acquisition is completed, the
new, improved CompUSA.com web site will operate within Systemax's
family of ecommerce web sites. The new CompUSA.com will feature
advanced searching and enhanced content including photo galleries and
videos on thousands of the most popular PC, TV and consumer
electronics items. The direct costs of the acquisition will depend on
the specific retail store locations that are ultimately taken over and
are expected to approximate $30 million. The indirect costs of the
acquisition - primarily integration and recruiting costs, legal fees,
inventory purchases, and other expenses - will be incremental to the
direct costs.
About TigerDirect
TigerDirect serves the needs of personal and business computer
users, selling consumer electronics, computers, digital media
technology and peripherals via retail stores, catalog and Internet
channels. TigerDirect is a subsidiary of Systemax Inc. (NYSE:SYX).
Visit www.systemax.com for more information.
About Systemax Inc.
Systemax Inc. (www.systemax.com), a Fortune 1000 company, sells
personal computers, computer supplies, consumer electronics and
industrial products through a system of branded e-commerce web sites,
direct mail catalogs, relationship marketers and retail stores in
North America and Europe. It also manufacturers and sells personal
computers under the Systemax and Ultra brands and develops and markets
ProfitCenter Software, a web-based, on-demand application for
multi-channel direct marketing companies.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about the
Company's performance. These statements are based on management's
estimates, assumptions and projections and are not guarantees of
future performance. The Company assumes no obligation to update these
statements. Actual results may differ materially from results
expressed or implied in these statements as the result of risks,
uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to: (a)
unanticipated variations in sales volume, (b) economic conditions and
exchange rates, (c) actions by competitors, (d) the continuation of
key vendor relationships, (e) the ability to maintain satisfactory
loan agreements with lenders, (f) risks associated with the delivery
of merchandise to customers utilizing common carriers, (g) the
operation of the Company's management information systems, and (h)
unanticipated legal and administrative proceedings. Please refer to
"Risk Factors" and the Forward-Looking Statements sections contained
in the Company's Form 10-K for a more detailed explanation of the
inherent limitations in such forward-looking statements.
General Media:
O'Connell & Goldberg, Inc.
Matt Levinson/Jeff Bray
954-964-9098
mlevinson@oandgpr.com / cell: 954-593-7208
jbray@oandgpr.com / cell: 954-599-7613
or
Financial Media and Investors:
Systemax Inc.
Donna Gehnrich, 516-608-7020
dgehnrich@systemax.com
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